GALWAY SENATOR WANTS ANSWERS TO CLIFDEN MINING RIGHTS

Date Published: 13-Jan-2012

The Department of Environment is unable to grant a licence for a marble quarry in Clifden as a question mark lies over the rights to mining in the area.

The Minister's intention to grant the licence to landowners in Letternoosh was advertised in local papers last February.

However, after an objection was lodged, a question arose over the ownership of minerals in the area concerned.

It later emerged that the state had already sold the rights to mine marble on the lands to a third party without the knowledge of the landowners.

This means the person holding the rights cannot mine as they are not the landowner, and the landowner cannot mine as they do not have the rights.

The issue has now been referred to the mining board which is an independent body.

Galway Senator Trevor O' Clochartaigh is now calling on Minister Fergus O' Dowd to carry out further investigations into mineral rights across the country.